Month: October 2018

Earlier this year Shorey Designs invented fabric-based flexible scale-maille. They did this by 3D printing individual scales with a backing tulle fabric, embedded after half a dozen print layers.

We could not resist giving this a go at Basingstoke Makerspace. As you can see we produced a robust set of scales with the tulle backing firmly attached. Several applications come to mind: using the technique for Cosplay items, creating scale-backed gloves for bike riding or making an interesting necklace and ear-rings. We really like the idea of using it for really neat cat armour.

On the third Thursday of each month Basingstoke Makerspace members get together for “Pi Night”. This month that will be on 18th Oct at 7:00pm.

This is an open meeting for all members to pose and answer any Raspberry Pi related questions. Any Pi based topics can be brought up. There is normally a range of levels of experience available, from those who want to know how to get started to those connecting their Pi to electronics and manipulating the GPIO pins via C.

On Monday 15th October the photography interest group spent an evening photographing water drops.

David who took the above picture said: “On Monday Basingstoke Makerspace held a ‘photographing drops’ session. I think this is my favourite shot of the night from my camera.
It’s also given me an idea for a project I want to try.”

We used a Speed-light flash and a Pluto trigger together with a triggered drop release mechanism to produce reproducible drops.

After a falling water drop splashes into a bowl of water a crown is forme from displaced water. the bulk of the drop remains intact and enters the water. In the following picture the crown can be seen with a second drop timed to fall artistically just above the crown.

As the initial drop enters the water in the centre of the crown it displaces water in the bowl upwards. This slows the drop’s downward speed until it stops. At this point it starts to moves up pushed by the displaced water. When it reaches the surface it breaks out of the surface with surface tension forming a stalk with some fraction of the original drip on the top. The remains of the crown can be seen spreading out.

We then added a second drip to collide with the upward rising stalk from a previous drop. When the two collide

Makerspace Members get full 24/7 access to the Makerspace and its studio.

Residents came to Basingstoke Makerspace from across the borough to have their broken items looked at and hopefully repaired, so that they did not have to throw out the broken items.

On hand at the Repair Café was a wealth of local expertise from the volunteers at the Makerspace, as well as members of Basingstoke Shed, the Basingstoke branch of Men’s Shed, a communal workshop experience for men.

A myriad of other items and objects that came in for repair, not just mechanical repairs either. Coats, clothing and electronic items were on the list of repaired items,